


If you're rough, well that's just you

by orphan_account



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Introspection, Ninja, Play Fighting, Tag, Training, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-11-14
Packaged: 2018-09-30 10:58:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10161686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A brief training exercise.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> An attempt at blocking physical motion. Title from Don't Change on My Account by Shel Silverstein.

The barest touch on his elbow, followed by Mikey’s grin above him, those flashing blue eyes, and Donatello was moving before anything but his body could react, a fluid, rushing motion that sent him careening after his brother’s retreating blur. Mikey, who always fled as the crow flies, flitted between trees like a hummingbird, the bright orange tufts of his mask aflutter.

  
Tagbacks were allowed this game, so Don threw himself into pursuit, feeling his body stretch into the run. If this was a race, than Mikey was definitely the hare, not the tortoise. Already Donnie could hear him slowing, his initial burst of speed burning out. He chose smaller jumps, lower flips while Donnie kept pace below, lanky limbs easily keeping him within sight of his brother.

  
“Never gonna catch me!” Mikey called, voice loud and bright, ringing through the trees. Donnie could feel his body struggling to break free of his patient control, to run, to give chase.

  
He had played this game before though.

  
Raph fell in beside him, but Donnie didn’t turn his head, didn’t look at him. He had a better chance of winning keeping Raphael in the game, and his brother knew it. If Don had turned his head, he could watch the powerful muscles in Raph’s legs flex and push him forward, their movement falling into seamless sync. He focused on Mikey instead, felt Raph share in his intensity, picking up pace like a shifting gear.

  
Mikey was slowing, and finally, finally he dropped to the ground, a shaky landing. He paused for a moment glancing behind him, and Don relished the widening of his eyes as he realized they were right on his tail. Raph was spreading out, putting distance between them, spearing Mikey between them. Don picked up speed, his legs burning and Raph mimicked him, his body accustomed to following Don’s unconsciously after the long run.

  
Now for the real genius.

  
With a single flip, the motion smooth and oiled like the length of his bo, his body tight and warm from the run, Donnie slapped Raph’s shell one-handed before falling back, his brother’s inertia carrying him far past Don’s quickly retreating form.

  
He heard the thump as Raph followed through and pounced, tackling Mikey to the ground, Mikey shouting and laughing as they tussled, but he didn’t stick around to see the conclusion. He didn’t have time. Leo would have been drawn by the noise.

  
He leapt, slow frog leaps from branch to branch hoping for distance rather than speed, as he tried to give his legs a rest.

  
A prickle on his shell, and a crushing weight pressed him swiftly into the loamy forest floor. Blue mask tails danced before his eyes, and Don bucked, only to have Leo pin him more firmly. It was hard to breathe, and Leo knew it. He could hear himself, loud, shallow panting, like a tired dog.

  
“Very clever, brother.” Leo murmured, and Don basked in the praise, even as he grit his teeth in annoyance. He didn’t want praise, he’d wanted to win.

  
“That’s why I’m the smart one.” Donnie said, his voice high from the pressure on his shell, and then squeaked as Leo pushed him more heavily into the ground. Leo laughed, the sound open and joyous and Donnie felt something in him ease at the sound. He’d much rather Leo here, smug and alive, than back in the brass bed at the farmhouse, pale and still.

  
“Not smart enough, Don.” Leo murmured, and then he was gone, the weight vanished from Donnie’s back. The air around him was still, as though he’d never been, no birdsong, no wind.

  
He stood slowly, struggling to keep ahold of his staff. His arms hung dead weight, pins and needles for who knows how long thanks to Leo’s pressure point training-

  
“DONNIE!”

  
And that would be Raphael, after blood. Donnie bent his legs, coiled to spring out of the clearing, just as Raph tackled him back to the ground.

  
He could feel mud grind into the pads on his knees, but without his arms it was useless.

  
“Aw, look.” Raph cooed, his gruff voice syrupy in Don’s ear. “Leo left me a present.”

  
“Screw off, Raph.” Don protested half-heartedly, and then grunted when Raph planted an elbow in his shell, digging him a deeper furrow into the ground.

  
“Nah. I don’t think I will.”

  
Donnie sighed, blowing his mask out of his face. He could see the orange of Mikey’s mask stuffed into Raph’s belt. Which meant Mike was officially out. Brutal.

  
“Well then, take my mask.” Donnie said irritable now that he’d lost. “And let me up.”

  
“Nah.” Raph said thoughtfully, tucking his hands behind his head. “I don’t wanna do that either.”

  
“You look bored, Raph.”

  
Donnie turned his head as far as Raph using him as a leaning post allowed. Raphael’s body stayed loose and easy which meant he’d already known the other ninja was close by. Leo was perched on a pine, his hood shading his face from view, but Donnie could feel the easy confidence filling his voice, his stance. He had a right to be cocky. He’d engaged the least so far, and had more stamina than any of them anyway.

  
“Hope your arms are working.” Raph murmured almost too soft, too quiet and then they were moving. Leo leapt so fast, Donnie knew he must have considered that they were setting him up a possibility.

  
He was on them already, Donnie’s bo swinging up to block the sudden flash of blade. He heard Raph roar, and tried to press forward, tried to use Raph as a distraction. Leo smirked, the expression visible for a second under his cowl playing back in Donnie’s mind. Then he was gone, trailing laughter carelessly behind him.

  
Raph bellowed in thwarted rage, as Donnie bolted after him, before the sound faded, before he could get away. He felt Raph land heavily on the branch beside him and they exchanged grim grins before giving chase.

  
Leo had a small lead, but Donnie just let Raph run. He was like a bloodhound when it came to Leo, and soon Don was seeing flashes of their Fearless leader among the branches ahead.

  
He picked up speed unthinkingly, and when he glanced beside him, Raph was grinning into the rush of wind, his teeth bared. They had already done this maneuver once before today, and when Don began pacing away, Raph moved with him, effortlessly.

  
Leo zigzagged, trying to get room as they closed in on him and finally, like ripe fruit, he dropped from a low branch flat feet picking up the second they hit the ground. Donnie heard a sharp whine, Raph’s sai spinning through the air and Leo went down like a felled deer, his hood flying back as he collapsed. Raphael threw himself forward, powerful form forcing itself towards Leo’s braced body. Donnie lengthened his stride and he wanted to bay at the sky, a grin stretching his face as he flew after them. They’d all complained this morning when Leo’d woken ‘em up for training, but out here in the sunshine again, he could admit it.

  
He loved playing tag.

  
Surprising himself, Donnie got there first, and Leo sprung at him, his leg whirling out in a kick, Donnie blocking a second too late. He grunted as Leo’s heel grazed his jaw, still strong enough to send him swerving back.

  
Raph surged past him, sai loose at his sides, and the clang of steel echoed around them, loud in the open air. Parry, block, parry, block while Raph angled Leo so his back was to him. Giving Don an opening.

  
Donnie swung for his face, and Leo dodged. But, bo’s are double-sided, and he followed the movement down, loving the whistle of his staff cutting a line in the air. Leo’s feet went out under him, and he hit his knees with a grunt.

  
The tip of Raph’s sai, inches from his eyes caught his mask, sliding the worn cotton up and off. Donnie would have never tried it, but Leo and Raph had always been uncareful of each other, in ways Donnie had no want to match.

  
“Damn.” Leo muttered, eyes still closed. Donnie flipped away from him, long legs propelling him backwards. The game was still on. He felt Raph’s sai swipe the air just before his neck, and borrowing a trick from Mikey, he stuck out his tongue, crossing his eyes for the split second they would meet Raph’s impassioned green stare.

  
Then he was on his feet again, and blocked another swipe, only to take a swift punch to the side, angled into the tender flesh under his ribs. Raph never pulled his punches, not when he wanted to win. Don used to think it was unfair. And then the Kraang had invaded New York, and Master Splinter had gone missing, and Donnie started to wish Raph had whaled on him harder. Then maybe he’d have been fast enough, smart enough to fix this.

  
Donnie dodged, dodged and when Raph swung again he stuck a quick hand between their plastron and snatched the other’s masks.

  
He disengaged immediately, fleet feet tearing him away before he even had time to put them away. He could already hear Raphael, panting like a mad dog, breaking brush to plow a path towards him.

  
The masks were useless. Take down the last standing and he’d win by default, but they’d definitely done the job of enraging his brother.  
Donnie darted just around a huge thicket, more of the bracken that grew along the trees here, and then hopped onto the branch ahead, losing Raph in his blind charge just long enough to drop behind him.

  
Donnie stood, stretching to his full height just as Raph whirled, arms wide throwing himself forward chest first. This couldn’t be a long fight. Suicide sprints across the sparse forest had worn down his stamina and Raph’s arms were a lethal, weighted whirlwind that thankfully Don had been navigating his whole life.

  
They were both grinning even as Raph switched rhythm and swung right for his mouth. His body was tight with tension, but his muscles were fluid from the hunt, the adrenaline, the drive instilled in him at every ‘Hajime!’ over the years to win, and dodging Raph felt natural now.

  
He swung out a leg, counterbalancing with the staff, both legs leaving the ground for a second, before Raph reached out and grabbed his ankle.

  
It was what Donnie had been waiting for, winding Raph up, getting him set to a steady motion of swing and miss. He curled upwards, using the forward motion of his kick to snatch at the stream of Raphael’s red mask.

  
For a second he thought he’d failed. That it had just brushed his fingers as he reached-

  
They hit the ground, a heavy clatter of wrapped knees, and scuffed shells. Raph’s mask, the untied length, still lay in his hand, and Donnie whooped from where he lay, one leg still thrown across Raph’s shell.

  
Defeated.

  
“Hahaha! In your face!” Donnie crowed, and he waved Raphael’s mask above his head, like a victory flag. “I win!”

  
“Good job, Donnie.” Leo said wryly, and Raph shoved him as he stood, batting away Leo’s proferred hand. “I definitely have some training to do.”

  
That felt almost as good as the sunshine, and Donnie didn’t even care when Raph snatched his mask back.

  
“We all do.” Leo murmured, but his eyes were forgiving on Raph’s shell as he tied his own mask back on.

  
“Guys!” Mikey called from the edge of the forest. “April made breakfast pizza! And she says she’s not doing the dishes again!”

  
“Okay!” Leo called back, as Raph turned to Donnie, one hand out. Donnie accepted, confused as Raphael pulled him close, and patted his shell.

  
“Hey. Good job, Donnie. Really.”

  
A hard shove, and Don stumbled as Raph leapt into the branches framing the clear blue sky above them.

  
“Last one home washes the dishes!”

  
Donnie turned dumbly to Leo, who tossed him a wide smile. He reached out to pat Donnie’s cheek as he bounded away, racing back toward the farmhouse, breakfast and their uncertain future.

  
“You’re it!”

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually having a lot of fun blocking fights for this fandom. They won't all be Donnie smacking the crap outta Raph tho. Bonus whiny!Don.

“Hajime.”

Raphael _again_. Ugh. He really just wasn’t up for it this morning. There hadn’t been any cereal left by the time he’d gotten to the kitchen, so Don had to have toast, and now he had crumbs all in his shell. His feet carried him forward anyway, his upper body tense, his posture defensive. He’d bested Raph in their last match, and now his brother was acting like he had something to prove. So, same as usual.

Leo and Mikey had come to kneel on the sidelines, and Don could feel their added stares like a weight. Raph swung at him, and Donnie barely blocked his sai, his arm moving to gesture the length of his staff. Raph was only feeling him out, so far. He was being more patient than he usually was. Don didn’t like it. He was beyond ready to be done with training for the day.

“Act, Donatello.” His father encouraged behind him. Donatello grit his teeth. There went the element of surprise. Raph wasn’t even trying to hide his grin.

“ _Hai_.” He muttered under his breath, and gave a defensive flurry of jabs, retreating. Retreat was like a red flag, and Raph instantly chased after him, sais held low by his side. He knew his father was frowning. He didn’t have to see it.

“That is not what I meant, Donatello.”   
  
“Yeah, Donnie.” Raph said, metal against wood, low enough for Donnie alone to hear. “Translation; you suck.”

Donatello knew what Sensei wanted. See, he was paying attention. Sensei wanted his sons to be safe, to be trained. He wanted Donnie to fight Raph like he would fight his countless enemies. (Who had enemies at sixteen? _Donatello_ , that’s who.) Still, even if his reasoning was sound, his Sensei refused to think in the moment. Refused to understand that those things weren’t going to beat Raph, who had eaten his Wheaties this morning. Raph who knew all the same kata, because he had to get up at the same ungodly hour to practice them.

Donnie wanted to win, and fighting Raphael was it’s own art form.

Donnie ducked soundlessly, swinging for Raph’s feet, but Raph was _laughing_ at him, already dancing out of the way. When had he even gone to bed last night? He’d found another tower the last time they’d gone with Master Splinter to scavenge. As they hadn’t had much other luck, he’d been allowed to lug it home, and dissecting it for parts had kept him up all night.

The glint of Raph’s sai entered his line of sight, and Donnie whirled, just dodging. He heard Sensei sigh behind him, and rolled his eyes. Great.

“See what happens when you sit still?”

“Yeah, science happens.” Donnie said under his breath, and he tried to calm the anger rising in him. It wouldn’t help. Sensei was immovably strict about how long they trained, and time moved for no turtle. He couldn’t end this any faster, but he could thrash Raph, the jerk who was standing still in front of him, twirling a sai.

Donnie tossed an egg over his shoulder, stepping backwards into the purple mist hanging in the center of the dojo.

He had a second-no, less-to get behind him, to kick Raph’s legs out from behind him.

It half-worked.

His staff vaulted him neatly behind Raph, who whirled to face him. Too slow. Donnie met him with a down turned foot, and Raph yelped in surprise, his sai raised defensively. He could feel his family’s eyes on them as they matched blows, Raph’s sai like a snake, flicking at his wrists, searching for a soft place to bite. It made his hands shift on his staff, adding length to his hits to avoid his sai. It distracted him. Made him clumsy.

Raph twisted his body, and Donnie must not have been the only one who didn’t get any sleep. He could clearly see the force of Raph’s kick coming, the tension in his body as he prepared to strike. Too easy. He dodged, his legs carrying him a step ahead, not quite as fast as his thoughts. Raph grunted with frustration.

“ _Attack_ , Donatello.” Sensei said, and Donatello gripped his staff, feeling his anger take hold. ’ _I know_ ’ he wanted to shout. ’ _I know!_ ’.

He didn’t.

Instead, he put his feelings into the length of his bo, adding strength behind his swings, turning even his defensive blocks into an attack. It was draining. His arms ached. Still, Sensei’s disapproving silence spurred him. Raph met him eagerly, a willing partner, always willing to up the ante. What a meathead.

Don just wanted to go back to the quiet of his lab.

Instead, he attacked.

He let his bo drop to one hand, a little misdirection. His other lashed out, catching Raph a neat blow to the side, his wide fist forcing a strong impact. Raph exhaled in a rush, the pain evident on his face but Donnie didn’t hesitate. His knee came up, knocking into Raph’s plastron, dropping him to the ground.

His bo slipped through the circle of his fingers, coming to a rest at his brothers throat.

“Yame!”

Now that it was over, Donatello could feel his heart racing, the slick sheen of sweat covering him. He was cold in the hot air of the dojo, cold in his anger.

“ _Donatello_.” Master Splinter said, and Don could tell from a single word that he wasn’t the only who was angry. He lowered his staff, and as he did, he realized his arms felt like lead. He hadn’t thought he was _that_ tired. His eyes were gritty when he blinked. Raph sat up slowly beside him.

“Damn, D.” His brother muttered. “Show me how ya _really_ feel.”

He watched him shake out his shoulder, his arms undoubtedly as tired from blocking Donatello’s mad blows as Don was tired from giving them. He turned to face his father disapproval.

“Do you know why you lost control?”

‘ _You know we’re out of cereal again?_ ’ Don wanted to ask. ‘ _You know that no normal fifteen year old has enemies?_ ’

“No, Sensei.” He replied instead. He tried not to lean on his staff. Leo sighed just as Splinter did.

“You attacked in anger.” Sensei told him, his eyes serious as they regarded his tall, reclusive son. “You must-”

“Pull that bo outta your ass.” Raph muttered, and Donatello _knew_ he was only mad he’d lost.

Knew Raphael could see the hit register in his eyes, before he looked away.

Still, his brother had miscalculated, and their Sensei’s ire turned to him. Donatello took his chance to head toward his brother’s, sinking to his knees gratefully. Mikey was asleep, his mouth open as he napped, but Leo was looking at him. Recrimination in his eyes and Donnie sighed.

“What?”

“Nothing.” Leo said. “I just-”

“ _What?_ ”

“ _Nothing_.”

“Leo-” Don said, feeling incredibly frustrated with the fight, the training, the day, _his life_. “What-”

“Whaazza.” Mikey said, blinking blearily.

“I just don’t know why you don’t do your best.” Leo said earnestly, and Don groaned, rolling his eyes. “What! I’m not wrong!”

“What’s Leo right about now?” Mikey said, sleepily.

“Everything.” Don said, meanly. “As usual.”

Mikey crowed with laughter, and Don watched Leo flush, his eyes staring at the ground while he frowned.

“Enough.”

Master Splinter stepped before them, Raph hurrying to his place at their side, and Donatello fell silent. Attentive to the serious form of his father.

“Training is ended for today-” Donatello was on his feet immediately, new energy filling him at the sudden release. Maybe he’d try and get that tower to boot again. He heard Leo leak more air and turned.

“ _What_.” He said.

“Wish you moved that fast for things that mattered.” Leo said lightly, not looking at him.

“I do.” Don said. “Wish you got that.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Catch me](honeyedlion.tumblr.com) if you can.


End file.
